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mixed media prints

New Collection: Lifespan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Kelly M. O'Brien, Small World, mixed media on paper, 50 x 70 cm. ©2014.

Kelly M. O'Brien, Small World, mixed media on paper, 50 x 70 cm. ©2014.

After spending a lot of time in the new Sheikh Zayed Tower at Johns Hopkins Hospital last year where my father was being cared for, I grew to understand the incredible value of thoughtfully-placed art in a healthcare setting. The hospital's Art + Architecture Program reflects this value:

As a leader in research and patient-centered medicine, Johns
Hopkins recognizes that the character of the hospital environment
can have a positive impact on the healing process for patients and
their families. The building’s medical profile is matched by the
thought and innovation of its design and the creative contributions
of numerous artists.

The collections in the new tower and Bloomberg Children’s Center are stunning, curated by Nancy Rosen, Inc. of New York. From the actual building design and materials, to main lobbies, elevator lobbies, waiting rooms, hallways and patient rooms, a huge amount of consideration was given to human impact. Speaking from personal experience, it was at times profound.

One of my goals is to learn how I can get my work considered for healing art projects and commissions. I would love to create significant work that patients, visitors, and staff can benefit from in these environments. A tiny step in that direction is the recent acquisition of my print, Small World (above) by Lifespan Comprehensive Cancer Center in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, US. As part of the handmade prints created for The Joint Portfolio Project, our collective work now hangs in this treatment center.

hard tryer at Galerie Uhn: Plenty

"Plenty" by Kelly O'Brien (2014). Mixed media on paper, 50 x 70 cm.

There's a story behind many of the pieces that I make. During the month of February while new work for my solo exhibition hangs at Galerie Uhn, I'm sharing brief backstories in a series of blog posts.

Plenty is a mixed media print, part of the Postcards from the Edge: Taunus series.

A common site on a hike in the Taunus is walls of stacked timber, their cut ends creating patterns of circles that line both sides of the trail. The graphic digits spray-painted across the cut logs are apparently private timber marks, indicating ownership and transportation rights for the cut timber.

Like a secret formula, they add up to remind me that this is plenty.

Hard Tryer at Galerie Uhn
January 31 – February 28, 2014

Seilerbahnweg 1, 61462 Königstein
Tel: 06174-221750

Opening hours: 

Di. + Do. 14.00 – 18.00 Uhr, Mi. + Fr. + Sa. 10.00 – 13.00 Uhr und nach Vereinbarung

hard tryer at Galerie Uhn: freu dich, trau dich

"freu dich, trau dich" by Kelly O'Brien (2014). Mixed media print on paper, 70 x 50 cm.

There's a story behind many of the pieces that I make. During the month of February while new work for my solo exhibition hangs at Galerie Uhn, I'm sharing brief backstories in a series of blog posts.

Freu dich, trau dich is a mixed media print, part of the Postcards from the Edge: Taunus series.

Frankfurt is surrounded by small towns within a short drive of the city. The contrast between Frankfurt's post-war architecture and the undamaged, well-preserved medieval structures in the Taunus is a stark reminder of Germany's past – recent and distant. Bad Camberg is one such village full of cobbled streets and charming squares.

I regret not noting the name of the artist who sculpted this beguiling bronze goat. Does the awning behind her say “freu dich,” “trau dich” or both? Freu dich means rejoice. Trau dich has several meanings, including trust yourself. Either way, I like that you can rejoice in trusting yourself.

Hard Tryer at Galerie Uhn
January 31 – February 28, 2014

Seilerbahnweg 1, 61462 Königstein
Tel: 06174-221750

Opening hours: 

Di. + Do. 14.00 – 18.00 Uhr, Mi. + Fr. + Sa. 10.00 – 13.00 Uhr und nach Vereinbarung

hard tryer at Galerie Uhn: Good Energy

"Good Energy" by Kelly O'Brien (2014). Mixed media on paper, 70 x 50 cm.

There's a story behind many of the pieces that I make. During the month of February while new work for my solo exhibition hangs at Galerie Uhn, I'm sharing brief backstories in a series of blog posts.

Good Energy is a mixed media print, part of the Postcards from the Edge: Taunus series.

On the first drive across Germany from Frankfurt to Berlin with my husband, I couldn't get enough of the giant wind turbines scattered across the countryside. Many you see from a distance, marching over hills and through valleys. Others are right along the highway, towering over you like otherworldly sentinels.

Curious about them, I did a little research. Did you know that as of the end of 2013, there are over 23,500 wind turbines in Germany, supplying 8 percent of all power to the country? The transition to renewable energy is a hot topic in Germany – not without controversy – with focused federal support and what appears to be a determined can-do attitude about making the switch from fossil fuels and nuclear energy. 

Back to these turbines...like my travel companion, there was something about the wind turbines' scale, unison and quiet presence that I found reassuring.

Hard Tryer at Galerie Uhn
January 31 – February 28, 2014

Seilerbahnweg 1, 61462 Königstein
Tel: 06174-221750

Opening hours: 

Di. + Do. 14.00 – 18.00 Uhr, Mi. + Fr. + Sa. 10.00 – 13.00 Uhr und nach Vereinbarung